Dia De Los Muertos inspiration..and latest fall porcelain creations

Carol Dekle-Foss

The colorful shades of autumn and the crisp air have finally arrived here in Northern California. This is my absolute favorite time of year for so many reasons. My creative juices are alight with fire and I find myself losing time playing in the studio.

This creative stirring has been very productive!

For one, I have accepted Karen's Dia De Los Muertos, a celebration of life challenge. Are you participating? We would love for you to join us! For me, this holiday was somewhat of a mystery. I knew the basics, but to help me with what I wanted to make for the challenge, I set out to learn more about this special occasion.

Some very cool facts I found interesting:

The Ofrendas or altars, are built inside and are decorated with many obejects, including the loved one's favorite items, photos, Cempasuchil or Marigold flowers, pan de muertos and sugar skulls. The children's altars are decorated in a special way to include miniature toys, tiny food etc. The Marigolds are also used in many other ways including decorating the graves. 

They widely display beautiful Papel Picado, or cut paper banners. I love the fact that there are still artisans in Mexico that hand cut these banners. Here's a short video in English on the history the Papel Picado if you're interested.

I think what amazes me most about this beautiful tradition, is they portray the dead as humorous, happy, and fun, and not macabre in any way.  Also that the children are included in the celebration honoring their deceased loved ones. I have a new appreciation for this holiday, and plan to attend a local celebration to learn more. Here is a list of events in the United States as well as a few abroad if you are interested in attending one. How amazing would it be to go to one of these celebrations in Mexico!

  I was so inspired by Sherri's shrinky dinks and hand-drawn shoes that I thought I would try and draw my own sugar skull. I used common motifs and then embellished with a bit of my style. 

These pendants will be included in a shop update tomorrow. 

 

I think they are adorable! I've saved a few for the challenge, and will probably end up keeping the finished pieces to wear during Dia De Los Muertos.

Here are some new designs coming out of the kiln as well.

 I love the intricate stained glass look of these leaves.

And more leaves.

Another skull design.

Ronnies beads. He nailed the fall colors!

All beads and pendants shown will be included in the shop update that will be happening tomorrow.

We hope you join us for the Dia De Los Muertos challenge! You can find out more details here.

mary jane dodd

mjd 2014

a leaf releases from the branch it was attached to.
perhaps rain or wind helped it along,
but there was no fight.
life happens.
the actions of others are outside of our control.
take care of your actions, your words
and thoughts -
consider how they impact the world.
do no harm
move with grace
let go.
like the leaf drifting through the air
landing on the earth from which it came,
let go.
and return
to your original self.

ever so gently ringing

mary jane dodd

leaf hanging with bells - mjd 2013

so much pressure for an evening, a day -

resolutions, intentions

i have learned that year dates are a way to give a bit of structure to our recollection of life events,

but each and every day we have the opportunity 

to awaken 

to invoke change.

----------------------

balance

greys that calm 

building bridges between 

white and black.

soft threads 

fragile strength

for eons

providing humanity 

with exquisite

function

in the shape of mandalas.

crystals faceted just so

catching light

and releasing it

the dance of all 

that is open

reminders from the himalayas

that clarity 

of

thought 

word 

and 

deed

are critical

and bells,

lovely bells

softly ringing 

gentle reminders 

kin to birds singing

cats purring

leaves rustling

that life is best lived

awake. 

from benedictus by john o'donohue:

may i live this day

compassionate of heart,

clear in word,

gracious in awareness,

courageous in thought,

generous in love.

who are you?

mary jane dodd

leaf - mjd 2013

part of maturing as a crafts person is gaining insight into what resonates with you, 

into what aesthetic is most representative of your intentions. 

it takes a lot of experimentation,

patience

and an understanding of who you are 

and how you wish to connect with others. 

leaf - mjd 2013

finding a way of working with fibers that is consistent with how i worked with metals is something for which i am grateful.

i have been working with leaves for a good while now -

sheet metal

softly folded

and given heat patinas -

and was so pleased when i could translate them with threads. 

leaves - mjd 2013

it's not always about how clever you are,

but how true you are to yourself.

your way of processing,

of seeing the world

through your eyes

with your experiences

and with your hands

is a beautiful thing.

find a way to make the techniques you learn

and the materials you use

into a reflection of you.

that's what the world needs.

mary jane dodd

'paradoxically, we achieve true wholeness

only by embracing our fragility

and, sometimes, our brokenness.'

~ jalaja bonheim 

when one thing leads to another

mary jane dodd

yesterday was a blustery day... and many a leaf took flight...

in my head the words of samuel taylor coleridge circled about in a sing song-y type of way...

'the one red leaf, the last of its clan,

that dances as often as dance it can,

hanging so light, and hanging so high,

on the topmost twig that looks up to the sky.'

so i went to my bench and cut, shaped, hammered, filed, drilled and riveted... 

to get this... 

and once they are all done - 

these are waiting for me... 

my patience is being sorely tested - 

but i am ever so grateful for the ability to interpret and act upon what i am moved by...

october art spark

mary jane dodd

'every leaf speaks bliss to me,

fluttering from the autumn tree.'

~ emily bronte

trees bursting into flames of orange, red, yellow... leaves falling like rain... rustling against your shoes as you shuffle through them... finding yourself unable to resist their pull... 

your challenge for the month - 


color and movement...

there are many ways to create movement in a piece... using split rings and wrapped loops to dangle beads are some easy ones... 


but i really love wire paddles and trapeze components - i find them to be fun and versatile...

a trapeze can have a wire across the top to hold more beads (here i used lampwork glass by mika collins at pinocean) ...

this trapeze has an open top and uses a wire paddle to highlight a special bead (here a lampwork glass bead by our own patty lakinsmith)... 


if you would like to try these, you don't need much... 


12 or 14 gauge wire for the trapeze
18 gauge wire for wire across the trapeze
14 gauge wire for the paddles
(all wire purchased at the hardware store)
beads
mini washers, bead caps
a hammer
a bench block
round nose pliers
chain nose pliers
flush cutters
metal file
something round to wrap wire around - ring mandrel, prescription bottle, anything you can find in the house that does the job... 


for the paddles...

cut a 2" piece of 14 gauge copper wire... file one end... when you hammer metal, you move it... to create paddles begin in the middle of the wire and work your way down towards the end... the more times you hit, the flatter and wider it will become... so you want to hammer the most down at the end to create a wide paddle shape... if you have rough edges, use your file... remember, files work in the stroke moving away from you... use it only in the one direction, never using a sawing motion, as it will dull the tool... 

slide a bead down the wire to see where (and if) it stops... i use washers or bead caps to adjust the placement of my bead... personally, i like when the earrings aren't symmetrical... 

the beads on the earrings above have very small holes and didn't require any washer at all... 

the holes in these beads happen to be a bit larger... 

for the pendant i chose bead caps... 

using your round nose pliers you will create a loop at the top (trimming off excess first if you feel it is too long)... place loop over your ring or trapeze and tighten with chain nose pliers... 

the trapeze is simply constructed as well... 

(here i work off of the longer piece of heavier wire)

wrap wire around a ring mandrel, prescription bottle, wooden dowel, handle, hammer head, anything that does the job... 

cut opposite side... 

using your round nose pliers, create loops at either end... you have a choice of whether to orient them to the side or the back... 

i usually hammer at this step and use my fingers to work the shape the way i would like it... hammering work hardens the metal and allows it to keep its shape better... my aesthetic choice also happens to be a bit more rustic... if you have a tumbler, you can keep your piece round and shiny and harden the metal that way... 

in the finished pieces above you can see how the different loop orientations affect the design... in this one i ran ball chain through the loop... 

please do not feel limited by these ideas - they are just that... create movement and color in your own beautiful way... we are waiting to see your interpretation... 

now for the rules of the art spark: 

1. all work submitted must be 75% handmade - you can use components made by others - but we encourage you to experiment as well... 

2. please submit your images to our flickr group... unlimited submissions per artist, up to 3 views of the piece... however, you will be entered once for our monthly giveaway... and you will be in the running for designer of the week once as well (we need to spread the love, right?)...

3. along with the image, a glimpse into your process, some insight would be appreciated... also please give credit for any work that is not your own... 

4. your work does not have to be completed jewelry... if you wish to submit images of components you make, that is just fine... again, some insight into how it relates to the theme of the month would be great... 

here is what our sponsors have donated for the month:

dvd on cold connections

jardin de primavera cab from 

cabbing rough

gorgeous enamel work from

barbara lewis

how it works:

a weekly designer is chosen from the flickr group on mondays... 

a randomly chosen participant on october 31st will be the winner of items donated by our sponsors... please have your images uploaded by the 30th, i would hate for anyone to be overlooked because of this... 

*** this is the one year anniversary of our challenges - thank you to all those who have participated in the past and will participate in the future... we value the symbiotic relationship that has developed... we learn from you as (hopefully) much as you learn from us... the collaborative nature of this community is one we are proud to be involved in... 

'simplify,

mary jane dodd

simplify.' 

~ henry david thoreau

sometimes in the simplest things we are most challenged and most rewarded... 

during the course of this past week, i tried something new... 

making leaves...

this experiment, while novel to me, felt anything but... instead it was as if they had been there all along... the techniques i had been applying elsewhere finding their true purpose in these types of pieces... 

'the clearest way to the Universe 

is through a forest wilderness.'

~ john muir

my artspark challenge entry